Police crack down on demo, 22 arrested

<IMG height=146 hspace=5 src="images/news/9464.jpg" width=219 align=left>At
the end of the two-hour protest today, which took place under the shadow of
the iconic Petronas Twin Towers, 22 people were handcuffed and trucked to the
police station.
<BR>
Those arrested were part of a 1,500-strong crowd led by the umbrella body of
the country’s workers unions, the Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC), and
a number of opposition political parties to protest against the recent sharp
hike in petrol prices. <BR>
<BR>
<IMG style="WIDTH: 250px; HEIGHT: 121px" height=121 alt="" hspace=5 src="images/news/9466.jpg" width=250 align=right border=0>Among
those arrested were PAS central committee member Dr Hatta Ramli and his two
daughters – nine-year-old Amirah and 17-year-old Atiqah. <BR>
<BR>
When the demonstration – the third of its kind this month – kicked off at 10.10
this morning, the police warned the protestors that it was an illegal gathering
and the crowd was given 10 minutes to disperse. <BR>
<BR>
<IMG height=155 hspace=5 src="images/news/9467.jpg" width=150 align=left>MTUC
leaders – president Syed Shahir Syed Mohamud and secretary-general G Rajasekaran
(<EM>photo, left</EM>) – proceeded to give speeches slamming the price hike
in fuel and other essential items. They were followed by speeches from a number
of opposition leaders from PKR and PAS. <BR>
<BR>
However, when the 10 minutes were about to come to an end, Dangi Wangi deputy
district police chief Mohd Rodzi Ismail issued instructions to 50-odd federal
reserve unit members and 100 police officers to prepare themselves to stop the
rally.</P>
<P>&nbsp;</P>
<P> <IMG style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 154px" height=162 alt="" hspace=5 src="images/news/9452.jpg" width=200 align=left border=0>The
red-helmeted riot police, who were armed with batons, rifles and shields, went
into formation and they were backed by water-cannon trucks as well as a dozen
of police on horseback and&nbsp;a number of&nbsp;dogs. <BR>
<BR>
The crowd&nbsp;then&nbsp;move away from Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) where
the Petronas Twin Towers are located.&nbsp;<BR>
<BR>
<STRONG>Kicked and beaten</STRONG><BR>
<BR>
<IMG style="WIDTH: 220px; HEIGHT: 153px" height=153 alt="" hspace=5 src="images/news/9469.jpg" width=220 align=right border=0>They
marched towards Jalan Sultan Ismail carrying banners as well as black balloons
symbolising oil and inflation, and shouting anti-fuel hike and reformasi slogans.
When they reached Jalan P Ramlee about 50 metres away, the crowd began to turn
back to KLCC. <BR>
<BR>
The police went back on alert, with some of them rushing to the KLCC entrance
to stop the first 100-odd protestors from going inside the shopping complex.
</P>
<P><IMG style="WIDTH: 200px; HEIGHT: 261px" height=261 alt="" hspace=5 src="images/news/9497.jpg" width=200 align=right border=0>This
was when a scuffle broke out between the crowd and the police, with one protestor,
49-year old Hamid Bahrawy, violently wrestled to the ground by half a dozen
police officers. <BR>
<BR>
As a handcuffed Hamid emerged from the fray, a large swollen bruise was seen
on his forehead from being hit by a police baton. <BR>
<BR>
Several other protestors were also seen being beaten and kicked by the police
as stunned shoppers looked on. <BR>
<BR>
Twelve people were arrested in this first batch of arrests and taken to the
Pudu police station&nbsp;at nearby Jalan Hang Tuah. <BR>
<BR>
The rest of the crowd continued to congregate along Jalan Ampang, opposite of
KLCC.</P>
<P><IMG height=128 hspace=5 src="images/news/9465.jpg" width=150 align=left>According
to <EM>AFP</EM>, the police then used a water cannon to disperse demonstrators,
who scrambled across a paved forecourt in front of the towers to continue their
rally. <BR>
<BR>
For over two hours protesters repeatedly dispersed to mingle with onlookers,
but then gathered again in small groups near the towers only to be chased by
police. <BR>
Police finally pointed a water cannon at shocked shoppers and tourists outside
the Twin Towers and at an exclusive mall across the street to clear the roads,
before the protest petered out.&nbsp;</P>

<P><B>’Symbol of oppression'</B><BR>
&nbsp;<BR>
“KLCC is no longer a symbol of Malaysia. It is now a symbol of oppression,"
said DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng at the KLCC entrance when commenting
on the police behaviour. <BR>
<BR>
<img height=302 hspace=5 src="images/news/9473.jpg" width=200 align=left>“Malaysia
is not a model of democracy. It is a model of tyranny," he added.<BR>
<BR>
PAS vice-president Mohamad Sabu said the police action today showed that Prime
Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was no more liberal than his predecessor. <BR>
<BR>
"It just goes to show that things have not changed," he said.</P>

<P>"When the petrol price goes up, all our essential goods go up," K Brabakarun,
a MTUC vice-president told <EM>AFP</EM>.&nbsp;<BR>
<BR>
"There’s a limit. Workers can’t afford a price increase against their salaries
so we are telling the government," he added.</P>

<P><IMG style="WIDTH: 219px; HEIGHT: 154px" height=154 alt="" hspace=5 src="images/news/9470.jpg" width=219 align=right border=0>A
second group of about eight protestors were arrested at about 12.30pm. Among
them were Hatta and his two daughters (<EM>right</EM>) who were demonstrating
near Ampang Park, about 150 metres from KLCC <BR>
<BR>
Also arrested with Hatta was PAS Muslimat (women’s wing) leader Aiman Athirah
Al-Jundi. <BR>
<BR>
<STRONG>Youngest protestor</STRONG> <BR>
<BR>
At the Pudu police station, a crowd of supporters gathered at around 2.30pm
and took immediate steps to seek the release of those arrested. <BR>
<BR>
<IMG height=147 hspace=5 src="images/news/9468.jpg" width=250 align=left>"I
am completely disappointed with the police action against the demonstrators,"
PKR information chief Tian Chua said. <BR>
<BR>
According to him, this was the largest group of protestors arrested since the
reformasi demonstrations&nbsp;in the late 1990s and early 2000s. <BR>
<BR>
The supporters milled around the entrance of the police station until about
5pm when the first detainees were released, and they were greeted with shouts
of ‘reformasi’.. <BR>
<BR>
By about 5.30pm, everybody had been released on police bail. <BR>
<BR>
Nine-year-old Amirah was lauded for being among the youngest reformasi protestor
ever to have been placed with her father in detention. <BR>
<BR>
<IMG height=199 hspace=5 src="images/news/9474.jpg" width=300 align=left>One
of those arrested, Khairul Anuar, said he and a number of others would file
police reports for being assaulted during their arrest. <BR>
<BR>
"I was slapped by one female police officer who told me I was talking too much.
She covered my mouth to keep me from talking. I spat into it," said PKR member
Salmah Abdul Rashid, who was also among those arrested.<BR>
<BR>
According to their lawyers, those claiming to have been assaulted would be taken
to the hospital for a medical check-up. <BR>
<BR>
<IMG style="WIDTH: 260px; HEIGHT: 172px" height=172 alt="" hspace=5 src="images/news/9475.jpg" width=260 align=right border=0>The
protestors will be holding a press conference on the police crackdown in Parliament
tomorrow morning. This will be held together with a planned gathering of 1,000
MTUC members to submit a memorandum on the fuel hike to the prime minister.<BR>
<BR>
"What the police have done today is to show the government is desperate to disperse
all these forms of demonstrations so we must go on to fight," PAS official Zulkifli
Ahmad told <EM>AFP</EM>.<BR>
<BR>
<I>Photos by Colin Nicholas and Jack Ooi</I></P>